The South Carolina AG is leading a bipartisan effort urging Congress to tackle the escalating issue of organized retail crime nationwide.The financial toll of organized retail crime has surpassed $121 billion in the U.S., with 76 percent of retail asset protection managers reporting incidents of violence against employees by organized retail criminals. Cargo theft remains a significant aspect of this crime wave, disrupting supply chains and contributing to inflationary pressures on goods ranging from baby formula to clothing. [ABC News 4]
Shoppers in Macon are on high alert after a skimming device was found at a Food Depot register. Surveillance footage shows a man installing the device, which was quickly discovered by store management. Army vet Jimi Davis, a victim of card fraud, shared the video to warn others. The Better Business Bureau advises using credit cards or checking card readers to avoid scams.
45% of Shoppers Say They Support Using Tech to Curb Retail Crime Retailers are losing billions to organized retail crime, with a whopping $121 billion lost in 2023 alone. The rise of online marketplaces has made it easier for thieves to resell stolen goods, making them bolder and more visible. This has pushed many consumers to prefer online shopping, which isn't great news for retailers who make more money from in-store shoppers. Retailers are now turning to tech and preventative measures to combat this growing issue. [Yahoo News]
S&P 500 rises for first time in 5 sessions, Nvidia gains before earnings: Live updates The S&P 500 managed to squeak out a tiny gain of 0.01%, breaking a four-day losing streak, while the Dow Jones dropped 188 points, and the Nasdaq inched up by 0.26%. Nvidia's stock jumped over 3% ahead of its earnings report, but Instacart's parent company, Maplebear, had a rough day, plummeting 12.3%. Investors are jittery due to Trump's trade policy uncertainties, with new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and potentially the EU. Meanwhile, Nvidia's upcoming earnings report is highly anticipated as it could set the tone for the tech sector.
How private equity played a role in Red Lobster and TGI Fridays bankruptcies Private equity has poured $94.5 billion into bars and restaurants over the past decade, but not all investments have been a hit. Turns out, eateries backed by private equity are more likely to go bankrupt, with 21 chains filing in 2024 alone, including Red Lobster and TGI Fridays. Leveraged buyouts and sale-leasebacks are often the culprits, saddling companies with debt and high rents. While private equity can inject much-needed cash, it's a mixed bag with no clear control group to compare outcomes. [CNBC]
Not Every Solution Provider Can Keep Up.
Can yours?
Amber Bradley
Editor-in-Chief
TalkLPnews
amber@talklpnews.com
Hanging out with Solink at their Solink Secure Summitt this week in San Diego and WOW! It was so nice to be a speaker than running the event - and let me tell you - they do this summit RIGHT! Huge kudos for such a well-run customer event. I felt super appreciated and I'm not even a customer!
There were many confidential product roadmap sessions that were extremely impressive and answered a lot of industry questions about AI and how the industry is progressing toward a true single pane of glass reporting - seriously!
One session in particular that set the tone for the event was the CEO & Co-founder of Solink, Michael Matta, opening remarks. Matta talked about cameras being one of the most important assets for loss prevention professionals and the vital quest to turn these assets into even more valuable partners.
But it's clear to me that not every solution provider can accomplish this. As Matta talked through the pace of change in security technology, he brought up many questions that I thought seemed valuable for evaluating IF a solution partner can keep up.
You might consider asking these questions to your next solution provider suitor:
How do you keep up with the pace of change within the technology world? Do you partner? Are your systems/technology [products] open source?
How customized are your solutions? And how does your company customize at scale?
How do you determine who gets priority service when something fails? Does everyone get the same priority? How do you determine priorities?
What is your research & development expense as a percent of revenue? What is a standard innovation timetable?
The leadership (and honestly its overall culture) at Solink is impressive and seemingly unique. But above all it's transparent -- and I think that is massively important. I mean, does everyone put their support stats on an external website for everyone to see?
I closed the Summit with my keynote address on handling disruptive guests and the art and science of employee engagement. It was a honor to hang with my industry peeps and I'm extremely grateful to be invited!
We're looking forward to welcoming Solink to APEX in September and hopefully on a future podcast to truly talk REAL examples of how LP will use AI in the future - stay tuned!
What's your take? Be brave - send me a note and tell me! Email me here.
Police: $11K worth of items taken from Upstate liquor store with stolen truck
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Spartanburg Police Department reports investigating a liquor store robbery on Tuesday where over $11K worth of items were taken with a stolen truck.
Officers said they responded to Nick’s Liquor Store on Hayne Street at 3:39 a.m. and found the front door shattered.
Security footage revealed a white Dodge pickup truck with SC Tag: 9106JJ backed up to the front of the business and a person with a face mask and a hoodie threw a brick through the door before taking several boxes of liquor, police said.
Operation Big Gulp | North Texas police arrest 14 people for 7-Eleven ATM thefts
FORT WORTH, Texas — Police have arrested 14 people for their alleged role in scores of attempted ATM thefts in Dallas-Fort Worth since April 2024.
A search warrant obtained by WFAA indicates the group targeted mostly 7-Eleven convenience stores because their ATMs are kept closer to the front of their buildings.
The group stole more than $3 million,
according to Grapevine police. At least five police departments and the Department of Public Safety worked together to identify suspects, part of a collaborative effort they named "Operation Big Gulp."
Two East Orange Men Arrested for Over $9,000 of Shoplifting in Stafford
STAFFORD – Two men from East Orange, NJ, have been arrested in connection with separate shoplifting incidents in Stafford Township.
Malik Alston, 30, of Steuben Street, was arrested on February 13, 2025, at approximately 3:00 PM at the Ocean County Jail. He faces charges of shoplifting (2C:20-11) for allegedly stealing approximately $6,565 worth of merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods, located at 223 Stafford Park Boulevard. Alston was also charged with a separate shoplifting incident involving approximately $2,886 worth of merchandise from The Home Depot at 197 Route 72 in Manahawkin.
DeepSeek, a Chinese company that has recently entered the AI arena, has begun to shake things up. This startup has developed generative AI models that are cost-effective enough to be used in business but powerful enough to be likened to the top products of Western AI firms. Tech insiders are now calling DeepSeek a rival to the likes of ChatGpt’s OpenAI.
What’s most disturbing about DeepSeek is not what it has developed but what its innovations imply for the future of the AI field. If these models can be trained as economically as DeepSeek suggests—using only a fraction of the resources that other firms claim is necessary for training state-of-the-art models—then what happens to Nvidia’s business model? If these guys can do it, who else can do it? Yes, this is all somewhat theoretical, but it points to a real problem that many observers of the AI field are now worried about: the next generation of incredibly powerful Chinese models.
DeepSeek's emergence isn't just a new player in the economic landscape; more than anything, it's a sign of the times. The U.S. government's approach to AI may not be working—this is a basic policy failure; we must do better. But even if we push for a much-improved set of AI strategies and policies, we still run the risk of being beaten at our own game thanks to a lack of significant transparency around how DeepSeek does what it does. We can't safeguard against the likes of DeepSeek if we don't understand what DeepSeek is doing and, more importantly, why. The kinds of data privacy issues at play here allow for even more nasty surveillance by China's government, a bigger risk than even DeepSeek's potential espionage.
NJ Senate Passes Schepisi Bill to Address Rampant Retail Crimes
Today, the New Jersey Senate passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Holly Schepisi (R-39) that would target the rising threat of organized retail crime by increasing penalties for retail theft and enhancing law enforcement’s ability to address these crimes.
“The surge of organized retail crime has cost businesses billions, driven up prices for consumers, and has put employee’s safety at risk as they face growing threats of violence from organized theft rings,” said Sen. Schepisi.
Biometric Authentication Faces Barriers, But Use Cases for Merchants Have Emerged
There have been many highly publicized efforts to introduce biometric authentication into the merchant space, such as Amazon’s palm payment technology. While widespread adoption of biometrics in retail has yet to occur, intriguing use cases continue to emerge.
In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Christopher Miller, Lead Emerging Payments Analyst, and Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research, discussed the scenarios where biometric verification has proven effective for merchants, the challenges hindering widespread adoption, and the future of identity verification technology.
GO Outdoors hails game changing body cameras as it looks to tackle theft and keep staff safe
GO Outdoors has been trialling body worn cameras at its store in Stoke to find new ways to deter theft and keep store colleagues safe.
This comes after the retailer announced its partnership with The Retail Trust, a charity that works to protect the lives of retail staff.
Claire Cowie, Stoke store manager, comments: “Body cameras have been a game-changer. They’ve not only deterred theft but also increased confidence amongst staff that they are safe when they come to work. The added layer of protection has been well received by our genuine customers.”
You and the team will develop and implement Retail profit protection and risk mitigation plans and practices to achieve efficient and effective daily operational controls and business interruption restoration to help protect and maintain a safe environment as well as continuity of the revenue stream. Foster cross-functional collaboration with business units and regional security partners to help ensure programs are maintained in accordance with both enterprise and regional compliance requirements.
How Self-Service Technology Is Helping Physical Retail Take Back Sales
The brick-and-mortar retail model is in flux.
Stores have been shuttering due to retail theft, staffing shortages abound, items are locked up, and navigating the aisles takes longer than ever. Shoppers, conditioned by the shift to eCommerce throughout the past several years, value time and efficiency. They want to get what they want, when they want.
However, pain points abound. Even in a self-service setting, there’s the bagging and payments (via card or cash) at checkout kiosks. Layouts of stores are different depending on where one goes — and they can even be different for various locations across retail chains.
“The consumer perspective is really simple: Make it frictionless,” Cantaloupe CEO Ravi Venkatesan told Karen Webster. “All the consumer cares about is convenience.”
Retailers face new challenges every day — from navigating complex regulatory shifts to embracing emerging technologies and managing an evolving litigation environment. As we look toward the future of retail, it’s clear that those who stay ahead of the curve on legal issues will be better positioned to thrive in the future.
Whether you’re managing litigation risks or labor laws, grappling with privacy developments or trying to keep up with cybersecurity threats, the NRF Retail Law Summit is where you’ll find actionable insights and strategies to navigate the complex retail legal landscape. This premier program, taking place virtually March 4-6, will serve as a critical point of intersection between retail leaders and legal and risk management professionals.
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